Knox thinks Knicks can contend for a playoff spot

New York Knicks rookie Kevin Knox had a strong summer league and turned a lot of heads after being booed by Knicks fans at the draft, so he is oozing with confidence right now. 

Knox averaged 21.3 points and 6.5 rebounds during the Las Vegas summer league and showed off his athleticism and versatility. The 19-year-old, who is excited to play with star Kristaps Porzingis when Porzingis returns from his ACL injury, thinks people are sleeping on the Knicks.

Vegas’ Westgate Sports Book has put the Knicks with an over-under of 29 ½ wins for the 2018-19 season. On Tuesday’s edition of ESPN’s First Take, Knox said he thinks the Knicks can win 35 games and be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.

Knicks head coach David Fizdale went to Latvia in July where he met with Porzingis, who is rehabbing his injury in his home country. Fizdale showed Porzingis summer league footage of Knox and explained how the two can become a dynamic duo for the next several years. Knox says he’s been in contact with Porzingis throughout the offseason.

“I text him and FaceTime him a lot,” Knox said. “We’re talking a lot. I haven’t seen him in person. I could see us running a lot of pick and rolls together. Me ball-handling, him setting the picks, him coming off it and making the reads. It’s definitely something I can see, and it can really work, too.”

With LeBron James in the Western Conference now, the top four teams in the East are projected to be the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. After those four clubs, the Eastern Conference is wide-open. New York could sneak into the playoffs as a lower seed, but much of the team's success will be based on when Porzingis comes back. If the Knicks can hover around the .500 mark and Porzingis returns to his old self, Knox may be accurate with his prediction.